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Sunday, September 11, 2016

Ethiopians welcome 2009, prepare for Eid al-Adha

(Sep 11, 2016, (Anadolu Agency))--Ethiopians celebrated their New Year on Sunday, with the country’s Muslim population preparing for the start of the Eid al-Adha festival the following day.

The country welcomed the year 2009 -- the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar is nearly seven years behind the Georgian calendar -- as families and friends gathered to spend time together eating and drinking. On Monday, Ethiopian Muslims, who make up around a third of the population, will join the rest of the Islamic world in marking the start of the feast of the sacrifice to commemorate Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah.

Due to the lunar calendar of Islam, this is the first time in many people’s lifetimes that Eid al-Adha and New Year have coincided so closely. However, the double celebration is marred by unrest in the central Oromia and northern Amhara regions in which, according to rights groups, hundreds have been killed by security forces since November.

A hike in the price of meat and livestock has also hit many households preparing for the New Year feast. Across the capital Addis Ababa, residents dressed in traditional white outfits bought green reeds and yellow daisies to spread on the floors of their homes. Read more fromAnadolu Agency »